British Independent Film Award Winners: ‘Kneecap’ Takes Best Film — Full List
Irish comedy Kneecap dominated this evening’s British Independent Film Awards in London winning seven awards, including Best British Independent Film.
Chiwetel Ejiofor presented the award for Best British Independent Film supported by ScreenUK, to Kneecap, Rich Peppiatt’s comedy following the west Belfast hip-hop trio and their mission to save their mother tongue.
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“There’s an irony in the best British film being Irish,” director Rich Peppiatt said accepting the award this evening.
The film, which debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, also took Best Debut Screenwriter sponsored by Film4 for Peppiatt and Best Joint Lead for trio Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh. The film won seven BIFAs in total, including the four craft awards announced in November: Best Casting sponsored by Casting Society & Spotlight for Carla Stronge, Best Editing for Julian Ulrichs and Chris Gill, Best Original Music sponsored by Universal Music Publishing Group for Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante and Best Music Supervision for Gary Welch and Jeanette Rehnstrom.
Best Director went to Rungano Nyoni for On Becoming a Guinea Fowl. This marks her third BIFA win following Best Director and The Douglas Hickox Award in 2017 for I Am Not a Witch. Breakthrough Performance went to the film’s star, newcomer Susan Chardy.
Santosh took Best Screenplay for writer-director Sandhya Suri and Best Lead Performance went to Marianne Jean-Baptiste for Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths and Best Supporting Performance went to Franz Rogowski for his role in Andrea Arnold’s fifth feature, Bird. Sean Baker picked up the Best International Indepent Film with his latest Anora. Accepting the award, he thanked 90’s boyband Take That in reference to a popular needle drop from the film. “I would like to personally thank Take That for allowing us to use their wonderful song,” he said. “I’m pretty sure that’s why we’re on stage tonight.”
Check out the full list of winners below.
2024 BIFA winners
Best British Independent Film
KNEECAP
Best International Independent Film
ANORA
Best Director sponsored by Sky Cinema
RUNGANO NYONI On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Best Lead Performance
MARIANNE JEAN-BAPTISTE Hard Truths
Best Screenplay sponsored by Apple Original Films
SANDHYA SURI Santosh
Best Supporting Performance
FRANZ ROGOWSKI Bird
Best Joint Lead Performance
LIAM ÓG Ó HANNAIDH, NAOISE Ó CAIREALLÁIN, JJ Ó DOCHARTAIGH Kneecap
The Douglas Hickox Award
(Best Debut Director)
CHRISTOPHER ANDREWS Bring Them Down
Breakthrough Producer
BALTHAZAR DE GANAY, JAMES BOWSHER Santosh
Breakthrough Performance
SUSAN CHARDY, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Best Debut Screenwriter
sponsored by Film4
RICH PEPPIATT Kneecap
Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary
Grand Theft HamletRICH PEPPIATT Kneecap
The Raindance Maverick Award
GRAND THEFT HAMLET
Best Feature Documentary
WITCHES
Best British Short Film
WANDER TO WONDER
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